Bandh total, peaceful in Kurnool district

Kurnool: Opposing Modi government's three anti-farmer Bills and move to privatise the Visakha Steel Plant (VSP), the Left parties observed Bharat bandh on Friday.

Except BJP, the leaders of Left parties CPI and CPM, the TDP, and Congress including the ruling party YSR Congress participated in the Bharat bandh.

The leaders of CPI and CPM came onto the roads in the early morning and staged a sit-in in front of Kurnool new bus stand as a result of which the buses were confined to bus depots across the district. Some other leaders have taken out bike rallies and forced the shutters down. Except the emergency services almost all commercial establishments, educational institutions, private and government were kept closed.

The leaders of CPM have taken out a rally from the new bus stand to the Collectorate. CITU State general secretary M A Gaffoor speaking on the occasion, has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was encouraging conflicts among the people across the nation. Modi was conspiring to sell the nation in the name of privatisation, he alleged.

He said Modi should stop implementing anti-people policies, or else, people would teach him a befitting lesson. District secretary K Prabhakar Reddy, State committee member P Nirmala and others also spoke on the occasion.

On the other hand, the Congress party leaders have also participated in the bandh at Old Bus Stand. Ex-MLC M Sudhakar Babu has called upon the people to join hands to put off Modi's autocratic rule in the country. He alleged that Modi was privatising the governmental organisations to benefit the corporate sectors. He further said that the farmers have been agitating for the past four months on the borders of the national capital opposing the anti-farmers' Bills. Modi instead of responding to the protests, is least bothered about the plight of farmers. The party leaders raised slogans 'Narendra Modi down, down' and 'Visakha Ukku Andhrula Hakku.'

Even the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders have also taken out bike rallies in the town opposing the privatisation of public sector units. The leaders of all parties except the BJP have participated in Bharat Bandh in Nandyal and Adoni divisions.

In view of the bandh, the police department has deployed adequate security personnel to ensure no untoward incidents take place. However, no untoward incidents were reported in the district.